Missouri Among States That Didn’t Use Water Money

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) A new report says millions of dollars in federal funds for drinking water projects in Missouri and four other states have been languishing unspent.

The Office of Inspector General for the Environmental Protection Agency says it found that five states Missouri, California, Connecticut, Hawaii and New Mexico have a total of about $231 million in their Drinking Water State Revolving Funds above the goal level.

The funds are for low-interest loans for drinking water infrastructure improvements and are provided to the states by the EPA. The report says the $231 million is idle when it could be used to help communities implement drinking water improvements.

In 2013, Missouri had nearly $60 million in unused DWSRF funds, with about $22 million in unused funds above the recommended level.